Brightelm Column
Dear Rob,
18
We’re having some problems
with ‘copycat’ conferences – that
is, conferences run by dubious
organisations that give the
impression of being the official
association congress. They
are duping delegates to pay
registration fees with the promise
of publishing abstracts, and
damaging the reputation of our
association. How can we deal with
this, without resorting to legal
action?
Catherine, London
THIS IS A TRICKY and all too common
issue, and the problem is getting worse.
Nowadays, it is relatively easy, cheap
and quick to produce a believable
website, and use Google’s Adwords to
put it at the top of a search. This can
make it difficult for even discerning
delegates to tell the difference
between the real thing and a fake.
Some larger organisations have taken
legal action against sites purporting to be
‘official’, but most associations won’t have
Brightelm’s Rob Eveleigh provides some
Agony Aunt advice for an association
eventprof facing an attack of the clones
the resources to pursue what I imagine
to be fairly lengthy legal action. So, with
this in mind, I’ve put together a list of
suggested actions you can take to try to
shut these operators down.
Awareness – make sure that your
community is aware of the issue. Be
up front and communicate it to your
members so that they can be vigilant.
Also, set up a reporting mechanism for
these ‘copycat’ sites as people come
across them - usually a form on your
website. Do your own, regular policing.
At least once a month, conduct a search
using your keywords. This will help
identify if anyone is trying to steal your
delegates.
Trading standards – if the website is UK-
based (check out www.whois.com to find
out who owns a domain) you can report
them to trading standards for fraud.
You’ll need to contact the office that is
closest to the address where the website
is based.
Credit card merchants – if the website
takes credit cards for payment, you can
report them to the merchant or payment
gateway they are using for fraud. I’ve
not done this myself, but I hear that it
can result fairly quickly in turning off
www.aenetwork.co.uk
a revenue stream. If you turn off the
income, it’s likely that the problem will
disappear fairly quickly.
There’s no easy way to stop this
behaviour, but by being vigilant and
understanding your rights, you can police
and keep on top of the issue.
Be prepared!
Communicate
the issue to your
members, so that they
can be vigilant
Set up a reporting
mechanism, such
as a form on your own
website
At least once a
month, do your own
keyword search